Following the initial military disaster of the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914, the Russian Army had been doing better, particularly against the Austro-Hungarians. A Russian counter-attack routed their opponents in the south and allowed them to besiege the fortress city of Przemyśl. The Germans launched a number of attacks to try and distract the Russians, but despite some minor successes they were unable to deal serious damage.
Central Powers troops on the march.
This would change in May 1915. A combined German and Austro-Hungarian force was assembled with more than 700 artillery pieces, including 159 heavy guns and 96 mortars – such as the 305 mm Skoda siege howitzers. They were attacking Russian defenders with only 145 artillery pieces, of which a mere 4 were heavy guns. It did not go well for the outgunned Russians, and what was intended as a distraction quickly became a huge offensive, with the Russians unable to organize a meaningful resistance. What counter-attacks there were only added to the Allied losses. The offensive would continue until June 22, and triggered the Russian withdrawal known as the Great Retreat.
Austro-Hungarian 305 mm heavy mortars – the Central Powers advantage in artillery numbers gave them a significant advantage. Image from Imperial War Museum.
Two days of campaigning remain
In the current campaign, the balance of casualties currently stands at 794,025 vs 772,397 in favour of the Entente. Once again the Central Powers are on the back foot... but the West to East 1915 campaign will continue until this Friday 4th.
Isonzo Intel
In case you missed the latest Isonzo Intel, it was all about the challenges of recreating historical landscapes in a videogame. Aside from the technical side of things, you first have to find good reference materials, and remember that landscapes can change a lot over the years...
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1556790/announcements/detail/3041597566481848340
Until next time!